A bipartisan duo of Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Congressman Brad Ashford joined Leif Magnusson, 2016 AEM Chair and president, CLAAS Global Sales America, for a special I Make America event to mark Manufacturing Day.

The event took place at CLAAS of America, Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska.

Both Ricketts and Ashford are familiar figures at CLAAS, where they’ve each visited twice this year – a testament to the Nebraska farm equipment manufacturer’s engagement on advocacy issues.

“It's particularly appropriate for us to be here for Manufacturing Day,” Ricketts told a crowd consisting of CLAAS employees, suppliers and other invited guests. “Because here in Nebraska, our two biggest industries are manufacturing and Nebraska.”

Ashford encouraged the crowd to stay engaged on manufacturing issues this election season, and see past party labels.

“You've got to dig down on the candidates and ask them the tough questions,” he said.

Magnusson also encouraged his company’s guests to get involved with I Make America and to join the campaign’s effort to raise the profile of manufacturing issues.

After the remarks, each elected official also took turns taking a test drive of CLAAS harvesters on the company’s campus.

Ricketts remarked how much fun it was to drive the CLAAS Lexicon 780 after climbing down the machinery’s ladder.